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as long as the instructor picks a senior student who he knows can take good ukemi then surprise is good for response, i also think it has a lot to do with the personalilty of the student some would appreciate it whilst others might not, a good judgement call is required here.

It is the role of the instructor to have a sense of their student's individual aptitudes, and for them to nurture/develop those aptitudes in a manner deemed by the instructor to be within the realm achievable by the student.

If a student is surprised by the outcome, well then yippee-kayay. (of course this assumes a preferable outcome) New knowledge should be a surprise.

When I was 4th and 3rd kyu and starting to learn front breakfalls (as from koshinage), once my body had some familiarity with the landing position, the best breakfalls I had were from senior students or instructor giving me NO CHOICE, just throwing me into them. I was much more prone to mess up, mistime, or land badly with less secure nages "trying to take care of me" and in the process making ME partly jump into the fall.
There are other similar examples in my training that lead me to say that in the hands of a highly competent partner you trust, and who knows your capabilities, suprise is actually a GOOD thing for realizing what you can actually do!

antonis, in answer to your question, maybe. if the instructor is trying to prove a point, like pointing out a good time for atemi, or for an opening to counter if the technique is sloppy. maybe. and if the uke is more experienced. maybe.

but in regular practice, no. in any of the stuff we practice, uke has a roll and nage has a roll. we both know exactly what the technique is gonna be. the instructor tells us. so in the practice, uke works on his ukemi , giving an honest, sincere attack, and nage works on his technique.

The instructor is responsible for the safety of his/her students. My teacher does not tell us what technique he is going to demonstrate on us and to what level of intensity it will be applied. He is acutely aware of not only the overall ability of the chosen uke, but what that uke is capable of receiving at that moment. This real connection has meant that NONE of his ukes have ever been injured by his demonstrating a technique on that person.

If teaching is done in this manner, then the level of "surprise" should be managed in a safe and controlled environment.

I was doing JIYU-WAZA with a lowly shodan yesterday in aikido class and somehow he came in and clinched (ala bear hug manner). Lowly shodan is a young lad... full of muscle but not so full of experience.

I manage to pull of a unconspicious Kosoto Gake (Small outside hook) and floored lowly sho-dan. He sprained his ankle and had to sit out the remaining class. He was full of surprise because I never telegraph at all what I was going to do next.